OEAudio Tita IEM & 2DualOFC Cable Review

Introduction:

Optimization Elements or also known as OEAudio is a portable audio brand that is specialized in portable audio accessories, gadgets and earphones such like MMCX/2Pin Converters, Exchangeable Plugs, Cables, BT modules, In-Ear Monitors and more.

The OEAudio Tita that I will now review for you is an In-Ear Monitor with a single full range Balanced Armature Driver of the company Sonion. The Tita features also 3 Replaceable/Changeable Shells for sound tuning purposes and has a Customized Titanium nozzle with a unique horn design.

• Product Page: https://www.oeaudio.net/tita

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank OEAudio for providing me Tita IEM sample for review purposes. I am not affiliated with OEAudio beyond this review and all these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

Price:

The OEAudio Tita is available in two different retrial packages. One Tita that comes bundled with the 2DualOFC detachable cable has a price of for 169.00 USD while the Tita without cable can be purchased for 129.00 USD.

Purchase Link: https://www.oeaudio.net/product-page/tita-ba-1ti-single-balanced-armature-earphone    

Package and Accessories:

The OEAudio Tita comes in a rectangular cardboard box with a glossy surface that sport the Tita branding on the top and some specifications at the backside.

This box is including the following contents: 

• 1 pair x OEAudio Tita Monitors
• 1 piece x 2DualOFC Detachable Cable with MMCX Connector
• 3 pairs x White Silicone Eartips (size S/M/L)
• 3 pairs x Replaceable Sound Tuning Shells
• 1 piece x Screwdriver + 3 pairs of replacement screws
• 1 piece x Leather Case/Pouch

Monitor Design & Overall Build Quality:

The OEAudio Tita is an In-Ear Monitor with a small size and comfortable form factor that offers a moderate sound isolation. It fits perfect to my average sized ears thanks to the fit friendly cylindrical shape. The Monitor is made of two different type of components which is the hazy/semitransparent main body made of plastic and the sound nozzle made of titanium material.

The overall build quality of the OEAudio Tita is pretty!

The sound nozzle has a Customized Titanium Nozzle with a horn design that should enhance the energy of the sound the extensiveness of the treble range.

The main part made of semitransparent plastic material has a small notch for the screw that should fix the replaceable sound tuning shell to the monitor housing.

At the rear side of each monitor are two wires that are welded to the Sonion Balanced Armature drive which are only visible if the sound tuning shell are dismounted.

At the bottom of each monitor is a MMCX (Micro Miniature Coaxial) female connector that offers a fairly tight connection with the 2DualOFC cable.

2DualOFC Cable:

The OEAudio comes with the 2DualOFC cable If you do purchase the Tita + 2DualOFC bundle for 169.00 USD.

The 2DualOFC cable is made of 4 Cords (2 Cores x 2 Cords) high purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) wire material of the German company Nexans with ≤8PPM Oxygen. The inner cords of the cable do feature Teflon insulation for a low dielectric constant.

The insulation of the cable is made of medical grade skin-friendly TPU material which makes the cable very soft. The insulation has a very low mircrophonic effect.

Each of the MMCX male connectors do have a semitransparent plastic housing with Left (l) and Right (R) markings. The connectors do are plated with a thick layer of gold. The 2DualOFC Cable is also available in the 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin variant.

The cable features also a Y-Splitter in which is also made semitransparent plastic material with the OEAudio logo on the top.

The 3.5mm TRS (unbalanced) headphone jack has a straight profiled metal housing with the OEAudio brand logo on the top and features a plastic strain relief for extra protection.

The OEAudio offers the 2DualOFC also with 2.5mm (TRRS), 4.4mm (TRRRS), USB Type-C and Lighting connector variants that can be purchased under the link below;

2DualOFC Cable: https://www.oeaudio.net/2dualofc

OEAudio MMCX & 2-Pin Adapters:

OEAudio offers also MMCX to 2-Pin & 2-Pin to MMCX connectors, which is a very useful gadget!

The total length of the adapters is only 10.22mm which makes them according to OEAudio to the world’s smallest MMCX / 2Pin adapters.

The body of the adapters is made of PU material that was produced with a special type of PU Injection Method, while the connectors are made of 3U-Gold Plated Phosphor Copper.

The adapters do have “Mondolf Supreme Solders” which connects the joints for extra performance.

To view more details and specs, click: https://www.oeaudio.net/adapter

Technical Specifications:

• Driver Type                 : Single Full Range Balanced Armature Driver by Sonion
• Frequency range        : 20Hz-16 kHz
• Impedance                  : 6ohm
• Sensitivity                   : 106dB (SPL/mvA) @500Hz
• Connector                   : MMCX (Micro Miniature Coaxial) Connector
• Plug Type                   : 3.5 TRS Headphone Plug
• Cable Length              : 120cm

Drivability:

The OEAudio Tita is a very efficient In-Ear Monitor with a low impedance of 6Ω and a sensitivity of 16dB. This makes the Tita to a highly compatible and very easy to drive IEM for Smartphone’s, Tablet’s and other devices with weak amplification.

Equipment’s used for this review:

• IEM’s              : OEAudio Tita, Akustyx R220,
• DAP&DAC’s   : iBasso DX220 MAX, HiBy R3 Pro Saber, Samsung Galaxy S9+

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Dave Brubeck – Take Five (DSD 2.8Mhz)
• Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (DSD) – Binaural Recording
• Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Wav 24bit/88kHz)
• Tina Turner – Let’s Stay Together (Flac 24bit/88kHz)
• Edith Piaf – Non, je ne regrette rien (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Wav 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• No Doubt – Hella Gut (Spotify)
• Elton John – Your Song (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• David Bowie – Black Star (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Eric Clapton – Layla (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• B.B. King – Riding With The King (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Audiomachine – Blood and Stone (Spotify)
• Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Spotify)
• Lorde – Royal (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Photek – The Hidden Camera (Spotify)
• Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Portishead – The Hidden Camera (MP3 320kpbs)
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Twerl – Lishu (Spotify)
• U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Opeth – Windowpane (Wav 16bit/44kHz)
• Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Slayer – Angel of Death (Flac 24bit/96kHz)

Short Explanation of the Replaceable Sound Tuning Shells:

As I have mentioned before the OEAudio Tita comes with 3 replaceable sound tuning shells. Those are the Brass, Aluminum and Stainless Steel shells. They don’t offer a night and day difference but are more or less noticeable.

Brass:

Brass is a material with augmented resonance and the hole at the back of the shell is larger than does of the Stainless Steel variant. The brass shell has a nice rose gold color. The Brass shell has a slightly warmer tonality of all shells. The bass is softer in its presentation while the midrange is a bit smoother than the other two shell. The upper treble range sounds slightly less pronounced compared to the Aluminum and Stainless Steel shell.

Aluminum:

The Aluminum shell has a black painting and closed-back design. The bass is slightly more controlled and linear in the subbass and lower midrange region which makes it a bit more suitable for songs with complex passages.

Stainless Steel:

The Stainless Steel shell is in silver/metallic color and has as a smaller back hole than those of the Brass shell. The Stainless Steel shell offers a slightly tighter bass response with faster treble response and separation compared to the other to shell.

The Sound:

PS: This Stainless Steel Shell is my favorite one and I will use it as the reference for the Tita review.

The OEAudio Tita is an In-Ear Monitor with a fairly warm tonality and offers in general a smooth and fatigue free presentation. The lower frequency range is powerful and controlled, the midrange on the other hand has a warm tonality and shows a moderate level of clarity and airiness. The treble range is smooth and fatigue free with roll-off in the upper midrange register.

Bass:

The subbass region of the OEAudio Tita is successful in terms depth and extension especially for a single full range armature driver. It has a warmish tonality and a full bodied yet soft character. It is possible to feel the strong subbass rumble in songs like Audiomachine’s – Blood and Stone and in Lorde’s “Royals.

The midbass region of the OEAudio Tita is more highlighted compared to the subbass area and shows also a higher level of intensity and better extension. The midbass of the Tita is impactful and fairly controlled, while it can sound a bit muddy in bass heavy track. The impact will satisfy most listeners with exception of hardcore bassheads.

The bass shows in general a good level of impact, tightness and speed for a single full-range balanced armature driver. Instruments like snare drums and bass guitars do have an average level of extension and while bass guitars do sound a bit soft in tonality.

Midrange:

OEAudio offers with the Tita warm, rich and emotional midrange presentation with an average level of transparency and airiness.

The lower midrange of the Tita shows good depth and moderate clarity. Male vocals do have a warm, romantic and intimate tonality with good level of detail and extension. Instruments such like violas, trumpets or acoustic guitars do sound bassy, smooth and emotional.

The upper midrange is highlighted, fairly detailed and smooth in its presentation. The upper midrange shows an above extension and clarity that does avoid a veiled or dry presentation. Female vocals are more detailed compared to male vocals and do have a good level of extension and crispiness without to sound peaky sibilant or harsh.

Instruments like pianos or flutes are fairly transparent and detailed for a single balanced armature driver IEM at this price category. Other instruments like violins are slightly bright but not harsh.

Treble:

The OEAudio Tita has a soft and forgiving treble presentation that is less dominant than upper midrange and lower frequency region. The transitions from the upper midrange to the treble region are quite controlled.

The general brightness level of the treble range is on an average level, while the emphasis, extension and detail retrieval are decreasing from the lower treble (presence) to the upper treble (brilliance) region. The roll-off in the upper treble is slightly more noticeable with the Brass shell compared to the Stainless Steel one.

The OEAudio Tita is missing some sparkle and airiness in the upper register due to this roll-off in the upper treble range especially around the 7KHz region, while this tuning makes it fatigue free and ideal for longer listening periods.

Soundstage:

The soundstage of the OEAudio Tita shows a sufficient performance for an In-Ear Monitor at this price range and is fairly successful in terms of instrument/vocals placement and separation. The soundstage shows a moderate amount of air & depth with good level of wideness.

Comparison:

OEAudio Tita versus Akoustyx R-220:

The OEAudio Tita has in general a warmer tonality compared to Akoustyx R-220 that sounds more neutral in direct comparison. The OEAudio Tita is superior in terms of subbass depth, intensity and extension. Akoustyx R-220 is shyer in this area and shows a close to neutral presentation. The midbass region of the Tita has the upper hand in terms of impact and extension, while the R-220 shows a better performance when it comes to speed and control.

The midrange of the OEAudio Tita has a warmer tonality and fuller presentation. The Akoustyx R-220 offers more clarity and slightly better detail retrieval. Male vocals do sound more musical and emotional with the Tita. Both IEM’s are successful with female vocals while the R-220 sounds slightly more airy and offers also a bit more micro detail.

The treble range of the Akoustyx R-220 is more highlighted and bright in tonality compared to the OEAudio Tita which sounds more forgiving but less detailed than the R-220. The R-220 sound a bit dry in the upper register, while the Tita has a fuller and sweeter tonality.

The OEAudio Tita has the upper hand in terms of soundstage width and imaging while the Akoustyx R-220 is slightly more successful in terms of soundstage depth.

Conclusion:

The OEAudio Tita is a very comfortable to wear In-Ear Monitor which comes with a unique sound tuning feature. The single full range Sonion Balanced Armature Driver shows a pretty good sound performance that was carefully tuned by OEAudio’s sound engineers and offers a warm tonality with good bass impact & control, an emotional & romantic midrange with sufficient clarity, and a fatigue free treble presentation that shows a moderate level of extension and airiness.

Pros & Cons:

• + Bass Control & Intensity
• + Romantic & Musical Midrange
• + Fatigue free Treble Tuning
• + Great Cable (If purchased with the 2DualOFC Cable Bundle)
• + Comfortable Fit

• – Upper midrange Roll-Off
• – The Replacement of the Tuning Shells is a bit difficult (small screw, needs a screwdriver)
• – The Tuning Shells do offer minor changes